BayouCityMan

WHOOOSE HOUUUSE??? COOOGS HOUUUSE!!! Congrats fellas, you earned it! H Town Takeover is real!

Frankly, I'd like to see them go one step further and just tunnel 610 from 10 to 59/69, build an express tunnel for both directions, build a local access tunnel for both directions, and put a local access parkway at grade. Double the total number of lanes.

I'd imagine the folks with the MP Conservancy would put their positive power behind such a plan.

Post Oak Parkway anyone??

Much though I would love to see it, both the engineering peeps at TXDOT and the gazillions of drivers that use this road won't much appreciate it. Ideally I'd like to see those lanes cantilevered over the frontage roads and make some sort of vine covered hanging gardens of Houston. Something akin to the vine walls on 59/69 in Montrose only covering the bridges, posts, and so on.

http://m.chron.com/news/transportation/article/Elevated-lanes-coming-to-Loop-610-eventually-6673795.php?cmpid=hpfc

Additional coverage from The Chron

I wonder how this relates to an elevated busway for the BRT uptown line

From what I gather, these will be two separate projects, not combined (at least for now). It's gonna be wild looking to see overpasses 35 feet in the air over the major intersections along the route. I guess there just isn't enough ROW along the frontage roads to cantilever those lanes over them.

http://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/get-involved/about/hearings-meetings/houston/121015.html

Looks like the process has started for adding 4 elevated express lanes down the center of the 610 West Loop between I 10 and I 69. I am betting that TXDOT will stand a better chance of getting this built despite the likely inevitable legal challenges from the Memorial Park Conservancy and various other NIMBY organizations. Fact is, 300k+ cars use this stretch of road every day and it needs the additional capacity big time. The link has a project map and additional details.

Bring it! This campus has literally done a 180 since I graduated in '02. I hardly recognize it. Very very proud to be an alum right now.

I can't say I'm the biggest fan of this. I bleed Cougar Red and I do think UT is sliding in here for nefarious and harmful reasons. If they wanted to expand their research in the city, why not add a tower or two to the UTMB cluster in the Med Ctr and focus on what their presence here has always been about. Just saying....

Proud '02 Alum here!  The wins just keep on coming!   

Remember when the forum was generally "blah" to "slightly negative" about this tower's design.... And now we are begging and pleading to the Construction and Oil Gods to spare this one from the budgetary chopping block.... I do hope it gets built. Having only a garage on this block for years would be a true downer. I have a feeling Skanska won't let us down.

Hey, at least there's something there and not a parking lot.

I couldn't agree more. Yeah it's ugly but look at it this way, it'll hopefully be buried by other taller developments soon!

For some reason, I really like this project. Being that it's not lost among other towers, I think this one will really stand out. It's simple but sexy.

I couldn't agree more. This along with 609 Main are my favorite current projects. If Museo really does happen though.... Oooweeeee

I doubt the original hodgepodge of buildings can be adequately restored at this point in their lifespans. When that cladding was put on those buildings in the 1960s, they did alot of damage to the exterior surfaces. Also, so much alteration has been done to the interior that it's all but unrecognizable in some areas. It is a shame though. The original Chronicle Building was a handsome architectural specimen for its day. It was built in 1909 and stood 10 stories tall.

Nice! Will add some signficant height to the E side of 610. Once this, Amegy, and the as-yet-unnamed hotel get done, it'll fill in perfect. Depending on the view and angle, this one would add an ascending height profile towards Williams Tower.

I'm going to guess its contamination from both the post office trucks and equipment along with the site's previous occupant, the Southern Pacific depot. Think about it... All those trains, probably some sort of maintenance facility etc. There were two separate depots there dating back to the late 1800's.

it would be awesome if they had some residences in addition to the hotel development, geared towards wealthy Hispanic nationals as part of the EB5 program or whatever.

I was thinking the same thing. We may not get a dual-brand hotel tower but 20-30 floors of condos for Latin transplants with cash to burn would go well with this.

*perk* 82 stories for the one in Chicago? That means we should get at least a 40 story one then, right? ;-)

I recall an airline by the name of Peoples Express that went from IAH to EWR and a couple other East Coast cities. I flew them once as a kid in the early 80s.

I did notice a bunch of land that was cleared off further south of this site, between the Target and the river unless my memory is failing me.

That clearing is for a Costco that should be open late this year. As for Kings Creek, I haven't seen any dirt being turned just yet. I live across the freeway from this so I'll keep an eye on it.

Spanning over the top of Richmond with light rail running through the middle of the lobby...

By 2020 or 2030, we might pass them on a city/city basis but their metro area is 10+ mil and we're somewhere in the 6 mil range.

Yes, for the most part it will be hidden. Will look good at street level though, especially with the lighting effects, reflections, and so on.

Great stuff Urb... I can't help but think this building belongs somewhere out on I 10 or the West Belt... That said, it will be a nice addition when done.

My opinion . . .  They should have a private firm build it as suggested in the article and lease out.  They should relocate all of those facilities to the North or East of Downtown while that land is still relatively cheap.  Then once it is all built and everything is relocated and operational, they should doze the old site on Riesner and sell that land.  It is far more valuable for residential multi-family or commercial and could help service a portion of the debt on the new facility.

Possibly to bring in more dirt? I find it odd that they'd fill in the entire block as opposed to laying some foundations for the new building. I'm used to seeing holes like this either preserved or dug in the first place for that purpose. Headscratcher to me.

^^^ Which is why I contend if heavy rail ever gets built, it won't be done by METRO. I could see a multi-county agency formed that would specifically build and maintain it, sort of like HGAC, only with a rail mandate. Not really sure how METRA, BART, or any of the other large commuter/heavy rail agencies around the US work but I'm sure it could be done here too. As I mentioned in my earlier post however, there are more than a few powerful lobby groups in our area that would not welcome this.

Between this and the Hines residential project, Market Square will be "lorded over" on 2 sides. Will definitely affect the views and environs accordingly but wil also bring new activity to the square should both be built. I am cautiously optimistic about this one getting built but like everyone else, I see the impending glut of space available in downtown within the next 3 years. Hopefully that doesn't sway Stream from doing this, but going multi-use may not be a bad idea.